The Morning after the Night before
by pure-class-princess
Summary: I like making up fan fiction and some of my friends became Cousin Isobel-style insistent that I put some  on here. Hopefully this short tale will nicely knit together episodes 7 and 8 of Downton Abbey Series 2 like a piece of Ginger Lavinia's embroidery.
1. What might have been

Since being brought home while en-route to Gretna Green by her sisters and Anna, Sybil hadn't slept a wink. She waited anxiously for Tom's return. As she waited, absent-mindedly staring out the window to the acres beyond, her mind drifted to their conversation last night, a loving exchange that slowly sauntered to silence moments before they were interrupted. Luckily.

"Why did you wait so long?" he had asked as he placed the blanket over her and sat down.

"I don't know," she had replied, "maybe because I was scared of my own emotions."

"You?" he questioned, "Scared? That's not the Sybil I know."

She didn't know whether it was his calming, warm, solid accent or his beautiful deep blue eyes that rendered her speechless but when she broke out of her hypnotic trance she explained:

"Even you know I can be quite reserved, I like to know things for certain and keep them buried until I do. But I don't know why it took me so long to realise – I've been in love with you since our first exchange. Since we first discussed politics,"

They had giggled and the silence encroached on them as they gazed longingly into one another's eyes. A few minutes longer and something might have happened; something that her family, especially Mary, would severely disapprove of. It would break grandmother's heart if not send it into attack first.


	2. Hidden Emotions

That's why she'd run away. So she could be happy with Tom and spare her family the details. But Mary was right; she would prefer to leave knowing she'd at least tried to make things well with her family. She tried to imagine them doing anything scandalous – something they'd rather not tell granny – but she couldn't think of an opportunity any of them had had to have an affair.

Unlike, of course, her obvious friendship with Tom and all the time they spent together. They'd even held hands that one time before the war – it was true, she'd always loved him but it was too true and her family just kept things bottled up. Hidden emotions.

They couldn't have been too well hidden, though. Mary had picked up on them, and granny. And Tom, too, unless he was just so smitten he'd convinced himself she loved him anyway. But he was right, what should get in the way of affairs of the heart? Class boundaries certainly shouldn't; he'd been right about that, too.


	3. Silent Answers

**Sorry guys, was going to do this as a one-shot but i decided for continuity purposes (if you're a die-hard fan who wants no hints on anything past last week or haven't properly seen the series yet – if you aren't in Britain – then i advise you to read no further) and that in each scene/chapter the emotion is different, it just felt right to – even though I'd written it as a single piece – break the work into (very) short chapters. I hope you don't hunt me down with torches etc. In Chapter 1, Sybil is just remembering the previous night to introduce the reader, in Chapter 2 she is overcome by indecisiveness and here, in Chapter 3, she faces confrontation; between her own emotions and with her sisters.**

Before she could elope into fantasies of what might have happened if they'd not been disturbed she heard tyres on gravel, speeding up the driveway and coming to an abrupt halt just before the garage.

She couldn't imagine a better metaphor for last night.

She hurried to the garage but Mary caught her on her way down and stopped her dead in her tracks, "Is he back then?" is all she asked before taking Sybil's non-existent response as a definitive 'yes' and continuing, "Sybil, dearest, I promised I wouldn't tell anyone about you and the chauffeur," Sybil hated it when they didn't use his name and Mary could sense her aggravation, but it wasn't just this engagement that had potentially damaged their relationship beyond repair, "but you must understand that I had to bring you back – even if just to save our parents from worry."

At this point, Edith walked behind them on the huge mahogany staircase, engraved with such agonising detail it must have taken hours to create a square foot at best. "You look terrible," Edith declared, clearly directed at Sybil, "haven't you slept or changed at all?" Again, the prolonged silence implied confirmation and Edith just shrugged before continuing down and saying, "Well, you must prepare for breakfast."

Breakfast. Sybil hadn't thought about eating, but now that she had she felt rather peckish.


	4. Ultimatum

**As you may have guessed by the title in this chapter Sybil is presented with an Ultimatum – a final decision that is all her own to make. Of course, the woman she is, she sticks to her guns and is, well, Sybil. I apologise, I wanted to get the full story (and that of my other, slightly off-canon, story 'The Politician') uploaded before the series finale premiered. Please, don't let his Lordship call up his hunting dogs and come after me ;D**

She was about to head off and get ready when Mary piped up again, "Wait, Sybil. You must know that what you did was spur-of-the-moment, like Bates‟ wife committing suicide," even upstairs this was a painful topic and you could hear the caution in her voice as she continued, "and that you just wanted to get away, to feel useful," Sybil could sense that Mary was trying to persuade her to deny her love for Tom and forget about him, something she knew would be impossible, "but I can assure you, you wouldn't feel any more useful in Gretna Green with him than you do here with us."

"If you're trying to say I should leave Tom and move on, find a suitor as rich as Matthew or maybe even father, then I'm sorry to disappoint, but I couldn‟t do that."

The boiler was on but it was still just a February morning, and the air on the grand staircase seemed to become colder as the tension grew between the two sisters. After another moment of silence, and feeling like the inside of an ice locker, Mary finally presented her younger sister with a choice; "Sybil, you know I love you but you must understand, I stay true to my word – unlike you – and what you did was dangerous, reckless, stupid. Anna and Edith already know, and I _will_tell papa; but even you must agree he'd prefer to hear it from your lips than mine."

At this, Sybil paused then stormed back upstairs and dressed for breakfast.


	5. Proposal

**In the original piece I left it there, BUT, I got some inspiration the other night and just had to write it down. It was an idea that formed some brief notes that formed this, Chapter 5. Yes, it was a sweet ending but the chapter's here so you're all expectant. Fine, just one last thing before you indulge like Ethel on pancakes – this chapter is beaut. This time around its Tom's turn to deal with uncertainty (much unlike himself) after a *chance* encounter with Lady Mary – but it can't have been too hostile as he ends up complimenting her. Absolutely beautiful, just like our favourite Downton couple! Sooo happy everything turned out great!**

After breakfast, Sybil went out to the garage. Tom was cleaning the motor and she could tell that her sister had already been here, as he looked shaken and slightly distracted, eyes lost in the distance not concentrating on his work. For the first time since she'd known him, he didn't appear confident or sure of himself, of anything. She slowly, silently walked over and comfortingly placed her hand on his shoulder. He looked up and their eyes met, his weren't hopeful, but sad. His face was sullen as he peeked down, embarrassed.

He looked back up and asked, "You will marry me? You're all I want. You are my life."

"Of course!" she answered reassuringly, "Why wouldn't I?" a little more downbeat and serious, then reassuring again, "I would last night and nothing has changed – why would it?" His face lit up at her voice, speaking these words especially but seemed a tad more solemn again as he answered, "Lady Mary confronted me.

"She's a fierce one, a strong woman. If only she had your views, she'd make a great politician." He smiled his sweet Irish smile again.

Her Branson was back.

FIN


End file.
